This application is based on application Nos. 10-359391, 10-359392 and 11052644 filed in Japan, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for forming a three-dimensional object, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet-like members.
2. Description of the Background Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette No. 7-195533 discloses an apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object. In the apparatus, data representing sectional shapes of solids are generated on the basis of data representing shapes of the solids, sheets are coated with an adhesive on the basis of the generated data and laminated and the laminated sheets are cut in accordance with the sectional shape, to form a three-dimensional object.
The Gazette, however, does not show a technical concept for coloring the three-dimensional object and hence only a three-dimensional object of achromatic color and no pattern can be obtained.
Further, in the Gazette, plain paper is used as the sheet. Instead of the plain paper, however, a transparent sheet may be used. Use of the transparent paper produces an advantage that the same visual effect is achieved whichever is colored, front surface or back surface.
Coloring the transparent sheet, however, raises a problem of change in color tone or gradation of colored portion due to transmission light.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet-like members.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, the apparatus comprises: a processor for generating outline-shape data including a sectional outline shape of a solid and color-region data including a region to be colored on each of the sheet-like members on the basis of data representing a shape of the solid and data representing a color of a surface of the solid; and a unit for coloring each of the sheet-like members on the basis of the color-region data, cutting each of the sheet-like members on the basis of the outline-shape data and laminating each of the sheet-like members.
Therefore, a three-dimensional colored object can be formed.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the unit colors each of the sheet-like members before laminating.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the unit colors each of the sheet-like members after laminating.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the region to be colored is a predetermined region including a sectional contour line of the solid on each of the sheet-like members. That reduces the time for coloring and consumption in coloring material and the three-dimensional colored object can be formed faster at lower cost.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the unit includes a mechanism for supplying a plurality of kinds of sheet-like members having different thicknesses.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the processor slices the solid at different intervals on the basis of the data representing the shape of the solid to generate the outline-shape data and makes a selection from the plurality of kinds of sheet-like members in accordance with the intervals.
Since that allows accurate reproduction of shape, the three-dimensional object can be accurately formed.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the sheet-like members are obtained by cutting a continuous sheet, and the unit colors the continuous sheet with a plurality of image forming units arranged in series correspondingly to a plurality of different colors.
That reduces any unnecessary portion of the sheet and cuts waste of the sheet. Further, by forming sectional shapes of a plurality of solid models at a time and coloring differently on sections of a sold model on the continuous sheet, differently-shaped objects can be formed at a time and equally-shaped objects with different colors and patterns can be formed at a time. Furthermore, by dividing a solid model to be two-dimensionally arranged on the continuous sheet, the object can be formed faster with lower height of laminated sheets.
According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the unit includes a mounting pedestal on which the sheet-like members are laminated; and a detector for detecting the height of the sheet-like members laminated on the mounting pedestal.
That facilitates laminating of the sheets, and the three-dimensional object can be formed with high accuracy.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the processor further generates adhesion-region data including a region to be coated with an adhesive on each of the sheet-like members, and the unit coats each of the sheet-like members with the adhesive on the basis of the adhesion-region data.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the unit colors each of the sheet-like members with a predetermined base color as well as an inherent color corresponding to a color of a surface of the solid.
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, the unit includes a mechanism for reversing each of the sheet-like members before laminating.
The present invention is also directed to a method for forming a three-dimensional object by laminating sheet-like members.
The present invention is further directed to a three-dimensional object.
An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for forming a three-dimensional object, which are improved and can solve the above problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for forming a three-dimensional colored object with higher accuracy at higher speed, simpler operation and lower cost.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for forming a three-dimensional object which is colored without color discrepancy.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and a method for forming a three-dimensional object, which can accurately reproduce colors of a solid.